LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Where was the Arab outrage?

I would like to put the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by the American military police into some context.

The Arabs and the media in this country are offended by the pictures and the actions of the American MPs. So am I, but let's put this into perspective.

The Arabs in the Middle East were not offended by the murder of 3,000-plus civilians on Sept. 11, 2001, in America. In fact, there were celebrations in the streets in many Arab countries. These same people were not offended by the murder, butchering and public hanging of the four American contractors, whose bodies were burned and dismembered. In fact, there was celebration in the streets in many Arab countries. These same people were not offended by the pictures of American POWs in the early stages of the war on Iraq, or in the first Gulf War, when American POWs were beaten and raped. No outrage by the Arabs.

I know that it was wrong to abuse the Iraqi POWs, and those involved should be punished. But they were a small number of troops, and not every soldier is like this. Also, in the larger picture, what was done to those Iraqi POWs was not that much to get upset about. If you do not believe me, look again at the pictures of the bodies of the four contractors and tell me which pictures were more offensive.

W. JOE LYON

Eugene

Homeless animals need help

While there are many caring individuals in our community devoted to the welfare of cats and dogs, there is a substantial and troubling segment of the population that is apathetic, if not hostile, about the plight of homeless animals. This community, as a whole, has turned its back on them.

Cats and dogs experience fear, pain and loneliness every bit as much as human beings. It is heartbreaking that so many are forsaken to wander and struggle alone until they meet with an untimely death from disease, starvation or abuse. Some will be rescued, but most will not.

Desperately, they search for food, water and a warm haven while dodging

an endless stream of lethal vehicles. Some are lost, some have been intentionally dumped and some were born in the wild due to the fact that humans were irresponsible about spaying or neutering.

Those who do care about cats and dogs and are financially able to help could have a profound impact on efforts to alleviate this relentless tide of suffering if they would only help fund organizations already in place whose goal is to do just that.

A comprehensive and permanent spay-neuter program must become a reality in Eugene if we are to end all of this needless agony. Our elected officials need to hear that they must do something now.

Here are a few groups that would genuinely welcome your contributions: The Stray Cat Alliance, Greenhill Humane Society, Shelter Animal Resource Alliance, The Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon and Pro-Bone-O.

SUSAN McDONALD

Eugene

Tenants need housing standards

Dick Ginnold's May 12 letter about housing standards is unfounded. Ginnold states that the Corvallis housing program is unnecessary because there are only three to four inspections a year and issues are resolved voluntarily. The fact that there are so few inspections proves that the program is working.

In Eugene, when serious conflict occurs, issues are not resolved voluntarily, and tenants are often forced to live in sub-standard conditions. The program in Corvallis acts as a mediator more than anything else, and solves problems by opening up lines of communication between landlord and tenant. Ginnold recommends that some investigative reporting be done before unqualifiedly supporting another governmental layer. It is evident that Ginnold needs to do some investigative reporting himself.

He asks about Section 8, which would not be part of the proposed program because it is a federally subsidized program. The proposed program for the implementation of locally enforced housing standards would benefit both landlords and tenants.

I am glad that Ginnold does not have serious problems with his tenants, which mean he is a responsible landlord. But many landlords in Eugene are not as responsible. I challenge Ginnold to talk to tenants whose issues are not resolved voluntarily.

EVAN FRANSTED

Eugene

Drug cost tied to greed, politics

The Register-Guard's May 17 editorial on the research and development component of drug costs is a distraction from the real issues. The pharmaceutical industry spends more on advertising than on research.

Much of the marketing is directed at physicians - not just free pens and calculators, but free meals for large groups of people. Consumers are bombarded with TV ads for powerful drugs they don't understand, but the ads persuade them to demand them from their doctors.

Much research is done at public expense in our universities. The research funded by the drug companies is sometimes fabricated or weighted to favor approval without accurately determining the safety or efficacy of the drug. Mandated research often involves testing in animals whose response to drugs has no correlation in humans.

Brand-name drugs have their patents extended by special legislation achieved through lobbying of Congress by drug companies. Many high-priced, brand-name drugs are reformulations of old drugs or combinations of drugs available as cheap generics. Most of the cost of brand-name drugs is marketing, lobbying and an exploitative profit margin.

The pharmaceutical industry is organized crime and should be dismantled and prosecuted as such.

RANDALL GICKER, R.N.

Eugene

Catholics must obey church

With reference to poll numbers from the past two presidential elections in which approximately half of all Catholic voters voted for pro-choice candidates, Father John W. Barrett wrote:

"The ignorance of the average American Catholic regarding the moral teachings of the church is tragic. ... Few are aware of the moral teaching that to place an act (voting for a 'pro-choice' politician, Catholic or otherwise) from which one can foresee an evil result (to favor, promote, defend abortion) is to bear a responsibility before God for the evil."

Though abortion is the most egregious moral issue of our times, it is not the only issue. In his recently published voter's guide - titled "Voter's Guide For Serious Catholics" - Karl Keating, founder and president of Catholic Answers, identifies five non-negotiable issues for Christian voters.

In addition to abortion, the other four are euthanasia, fetal stem cell research, human cloning and homosexual marriage. They are non-negotiable because they concern actions that are always morally wrong.

The guide offers advice on how to vote by first determining how each candidate stands on the five non-negotiable issues.

Many Catholics apparently are unaware that the deliberate withholding of assent to church moral teachings is a sin against faith.

I believe that "cafeteria Catholics" like Lew Thorne (Register-Guard, May 14), who choose which church precepts they will follow, have, by that fact, made another choice: to spiritually abandon the church.

PETER NICHOLAS FORBINI

Fall Creek 

Culture shapes sexual attitudes

Wendy Maltz voiced the feelings of many (guest viewpoint, May 16) in decrying the self-serving apology tendered by Neil Goldschmidt. Even Les AuCoin's kind tribute (guest viewpoint, May 13) saluted the tragedy of a fallen leader without mention of the invisible victim.

Who is writing the column about her?

As a lifelong educator, I know that we have imbued but a small fraction of our young women with the understanding or power to rise above this kind of culturally accepted male dominance that results in sexual power plays.

Generally, we deplore the obvious abuse of a sexual assault, especially by an older adult on a younger person, male or female, but we fail to recognize that the attitude exists in male-female relationships from middle school on.

Until we curb the bombardment of sexual pressures in fashion, media and music on young women taught to please or appeal to men, we will continue to see such tragic rapes and abuses brushed aside with a tsk, tsk.

We are teaching our young and adult men to please themselves without consequence when we make contraception availability and sexual education so restrictive, and that includes abortion education.

The stakes for women remain far higher on all fronts in the realm of sexuality, and the need for understanding screams out.

If you don't believe me, just ask the woman whose life Goldschmidt helped ruin.

WENDIE VERMILLION

Eugene

Draft must include social elites

The draft is the only fair way to ensure that all citizens shoulder some measure of effort in support of our government. The current method of relying on volunteer soldiers allows the well-to-do to avoid any personal service except the minimal taxes they have to pay.

When the elite - read the wealthy, the powerful and the politicians - have to send their flesh and blood to be cannon fodder, they will think at least twice before sending troops to an indefensible military action.

Before the House and Senate bills mentioned by Erika Robles (letters, May 17) are actually brought to votes, they should be amended to allow deferments only for the disabled and for people supporting families with children, and for no other reason. This would prevent the wealthy from buying their way out of service and prevent the tragic circumstances of widowed families with no means of support.

MARTIN FALK

Eugene